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CONTINUED TROUBLE DOGS TROUBLED AGENCY CHARGED WITH PROTECTING ANIMALS

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file photo William Thomas

CAREN CHESLER | JUNE 14, 2017

Some half-dozen people linked to NJSPCA have been interviewed or will soon be by State Commission of Investigation

After failing to file state and federal financial statements for years, a misstep that resulted in the loss of its tax-exempt status, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the subject of a State Commission of Investigation probe for the second time in less than 20 years.

While the SCI would not confirm or deny any investigative activity, at least half-a-dozen people connected with the NJSCPA say they have already been interviewed or are about to be, as part of the probe. Earlier this spring, NJ Spotlight published a look at the controversial organization, detailing its financial problems and its lack of oversight.

The NJSPCA, a private organization with a 100-plus-year-old charter from the state, has been the focus of controversy for almost two decades. Charged with protecting animals, the group’s senior members are given the power of arrest, carry guns, and yet have little state oversight. The steady drumbeat of criticism reached a crescendo late last year when it was discovered that the organization had lost its tax-exempt status and yet continued to accept public donations without informing donors that their contributions were no longer tax-deductible.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/06/13/continued-trouble-dogs-troubled-agency-charged-with-protecting-animals/

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DUBIOUS FINANCIAL DEALINGS AT NJ AGENCY TASKED WITH PROTECTING ANIMALS

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CAREN CHESLER | MAY 9, 2017

Stripped of its tax-exempt status and plagued with apparent conflicts of interest, the NJSPCA spends far more money on legal fees than on animal care, according to its own tax records

This is the first in a two-part series investigating the NJSPCA, the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has come under scrutiny in recent years for not filing income taxes and for loss of its status as a charitable organization. Follow this link to read the second story.

The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA), a private organization with a 100-plus-year-old charter from the state, has been the focus of controversy for almost 20 years. Charged with protecting animals, the group’s senior members are given the power of arrest, carry guns, and have little state oversight. Now, the society is in trouble, losing its charity designation after not filing tax returns for three years. Despite this, it accepted public donations without informing donors that their contributions were no longer tax-deductible.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/05/08/dubious-financial-dealings-at-nj-agency-tasked-with-protecting-animals/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-10-05-9578938&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics